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Photo courtesy of Gordon State College
By Guest Columnist Katheryne A. Fields, Gordon State College Director of Marketing
BARNESVILLE - The Estate of Traci L. Durham recently established two endowments totaling $75,000 to provide scholarships for Gordon State College nursing students facing financial hardships.
The Traci Lane Durham Memorial Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) Scholarship was established to assist a student who has achieved final acceptance into the ASN program and the award may be renewable for an additional year provided the recipient is in good academic standing.
The Traci Lane Durham Memorial Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Scholarship was established to assist a student who has achieved final acceptance into the BSN program and the award may be renewable for an additional year provided the recipient is in good academic standing.
Durham, 53, died on March 6, 2020 after an auto accident in Williamson. She grew up in Pike County and was a 1984 graduate of Pike County High School. She attended Clayton State University and then Georgia State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy. After several years, she attended Gordon State College, where she quickly bonded with her peers and graduated with her ASN degree in May of 2001.
At the time of her death, she was an intensive care nurse at WellStar Spalding Regional Hospital where she had worked for more than 10 years. Durham’s friends and family described her as a compassionate and generous person. Her patients were grateful for her dedication and kindness to them. She was known for entering the room with a smile on her face and for her sense of humor. She enjoyed her pets, stamp collecting and gardening. She also was known for spoiling other people’s children, leaving ridiculously large tips and lighting up any room she entered.
The executor of Durham’s estate and representative for the family said they wanted to support Gordon State College in her memory as they felt the college strives for excellence in their graduates. Durham’s nursing classmates formed a tight camaraderie that the family wants to continue through the estate’s endowments.
Director of Nursing Samantha Bishop said, “I appreciate the exceptional example of serving others through a tragedy that these scholarships represent. I am always encouraged when someone dedicates their life to a profession and their legacy lives on by supporting other young people pursing their dreams.”
Vice President of Advancement, External Relations and Marketing and Executive Director of the Gordon State College Foundation Montrese Adger Fuller said, “Through the Estate Gift of Traci L. Durham, the family carefully thought about how they could help the Nursing students at GSC by providing ongoing support for years to come by establishing two scholarship endowments in memory of Traci L. Durham. We are ever grateful for their dedication to advancing and improving the lives of our students.”
The GSC Foundation will offer the pair of Traci Lane Durham Memorial scholarships for nursing applicants in 2021.